What a great place to hold a party – IT ROCKS – brilliant beachfront/waterside setting, great team behind the venue, overflowing with ambience, fabulous food, a ‘sherbert’ or ten, the band pumping, & a dance spectacle to top all others!

Some cruised to the venue along the island’s lagoon-side road, others strolled bare-footed along the white sands of Matira Beach but most arrived to catch sunset over the world’s most beautiful lagoon. All were greeted by the strumming of ukuleles & guitars; all welcomed by the perfume of Tiare Tahiti leis.

The spread inside was as good as the local music outside:

Seating options aplenty:

For those wishing to sit outside, a separate band played:

Suddenly the deep & forceful beat of the tariparau (traditional Tahitian bass drum) penetrated through the restaurant, whilst to the amazement & thunderous cheers & whistles of those present, the dancers appeared (their more (skirts) are made from the bark of the local purau tree, a member of the hibiscus family):

It’s powerful stuff; it clearly affects different people in different ways:

An aparima was then danced for those to be married. A slower tempo dance, its an ancient & sacred form of expressing one’s deepest inner feelings. Needless to say its was banned by the missionaries as being too sensual, debauchery in fact!

The moment of truth arrives with the ‘invitation to dance’ – protocol demands that those to be married are the first invited:

‘Old hands’ at the gig!

The ‘piece de resistence’ was about to come. The tamure is very much about having fun; the greatest pleasure that one can bring to a Tahitian who asks you to dance is your active participation…….boy oh boy, did KK give it to them!

The face on one of the dancers says it all: ‘ah yes, this is why we dance’!

Kathy would walk the 10 paces from the dance floor straight into the lagoon to ‘cool off’, shoes & all!

The evening continued to the sounds of a different drum – a local band for those wishing to dance & impromptu performances from those wishing to sing for the bride & groom to be: